This invention relates generally to racks for carrying and storing hockey sticks-in an orderly manner. However, the rack can be easily adapted to carrying any other type of sports equipment.
Various types of carrying devices for carrying hockey sticks and other similar sporting equipment are known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,880,336 issued to Demasson discloses a hockey stick carrier for stacking and carrying multiple pairs of hockey sticks. This carrier design allows the stacking of a number of pairs of hockey sticks and clamping them together in a bundle for ease of carrying. However, this carrier design does not allow proper display of hockey sticks or for the removal of a particular hockey stick buried in the bundle without dismantling the entire bundle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,215,181 to Reed discloses a golf club caddy having a pair of substantially rectangular, tubular frame members that are held in longitudinal parallel alignment by spaced apart spring clips that are secured to the frame members by screws. The spring clips are arranged in vertically spaced, horizontally, or longitudinally aligned pairs in which the clubs are removably held in a horizontal position. The clubs, however, can be easily dislodged from the clips, particularly as the clips age.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,466 to Wess et al discloses a carrying frame for fishing poles. The carrying frame includes a rectangular member which includes vertically spaced upper and lower elongated horizontal legs and opposite upstanding elongated vertical legs. Corresponding portions of the vertical legs are provided with spaced pairs of clamps for releasably engaging portions of fishing poles. The upper horizontal leg has a centrally located handle supported thereon. The frame may be disassembled and stored in a compact state. Only one side of the frame is provided with clamps and the carrying capacity of the device is thus limited.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,779,914 to Friedline describes a rack for carrying and displaying fishing equipment, such as fishing rods. The rack comprises two hinged frame sections adapted for holding fishing rods. Hinges are located along their top edges of the two frame members so that the rack can be opened into a free standing A-shaped structure. Notches are provided in the frame members which contain a foam-like material. Fishing rods are inserted into the notches so that the foam holds the fishing rods in place. Here again, the poles can be easily dislodged from the foam material and the foam can lose its holding ability as it ages or if it is exposed to moisture over a period of time.
An object of the present invention is to improve racks for organizing, carrying and storing a number of hockey sticks.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a simple carrier for hockey sticks that has a closure device for preventing the hockey sticks from being inadvertently dislodged from the carrier.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a hockey rack from which one or more individual hockey sticks can be easily removed without disturbing the remaining hockey sticks.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a carrying rack which can accommodate a maximum number of hockey sticks in a minimum amount of space.
Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a carrying rack with an elongated horizontally disposed handle that allows for a balanced hold on the rack as its center of gravity shifts as sticks are added or removed from the rack.
These and other objects of the invention can be attained by a rack for carrying and storing hockey sticks that has a symmetrical arrangement of parts. Briefly, the carrier has a plurality of horizontally aligned dowel pins tightly press-fitted through the vertical legs of an inverted U-frame structure. The dowel pin extension on either side of each vertical leg is being enclosed by a symmetrical arrangement of four locking bars which are held in the locked position with the help of spring locks. The carrier of the current invention thus allows one to organize and arrange a plurality of hockey sticks in a very orderly manner in a very limited space, while permitting removal of any number of sticks without affecting any of the remaining hockey sticks in the carrier. The carrier has an elongated handle that allows the user to easily find the center of gravity of the carrier when an unbalanced load is contained in the carrier.